Natural Medley's first birthday

I just knew I needed a creative outlet that could fit into my home bound life.Here is my first baby post. Isn't it cute? And I'm still collecting jackets!

What I know now I didn't know then.

The negativesI would:Feel frustrated that more friends in my day to day didn't follow or careFind time management hardBe swallowed up by the internetFeel totally overwhelmed by the need to read and comment on others' blogs so it's not just one sidedBe frustrated at the need to restrict blogs I follow so I can get around to commenting

Feel annoyed at myself for not managing more linkups

The positivesI would : Learn to Instagram and PinterestLearn photo editing Learn how to add gadgets and add-onsWrite blog posts with my kidsShare my difficult personal stories (sexuality, gender, autism) and receive so much acceptanceSell one of my paintings to a fan overseasCreate a visual diary of our family's travelLearn to model and poseHave photos of me for posterity (I take most family photos)Learn to write meaningful comments in a couple of sentencesUse more than my fair share of smiley faces :-D and exclamation marks!!!Create over 200 art works in the form of my BeautyScopesBecome friends with the amazing bloggers I was stealthily followingBe recognised with awards for my workGet a better camera and learn to shoot manuallyHave my work seen all over the worldGain hundreds of followersEnjoy encouraging others' creativityFeel amazed at others' creativityFeel extremely artistically stretched (in a good way) and fulfilledFind a family of unique creative gutsy warm funny individuals

As you can see the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Where will we be a year from now?

The unknown can be frightening (especially with my brain), but also mysterious and wonderful!And if this past year is anything to go by, I welcome it with open arms.

34 comments:

Happy blog birthday, JJ. I started around the same time you did so I guess I have had a birthday too. I can relate to your frustrations list and share many of them. I love your list of positives, especially how it is so much longer. I can relate to some of those too. Right now I am thinking...'you have hundreds of followers? Cool! I think I have 20. ;-) I am also thinking I need to learn more about gadgets and add-ons. Do you think I am competitive? ;-) xoxo

Don't feel bad, most of mine are through Google + for my photography. We don't compete at all! I actually often look at your comments and wish I could have more in depth relationships with more people like you. But you've done more commenting over time and drawn more to you :-) I'd still like to add tabs, but haven't worked them out yet. Google is a great instructor! Happy blog birthday to you, Happy blog birthday to you, Happy blog birthday dear Director of Awesome...Happy blog birthday to-oo yoooouuuu! :-D xo JJ

Congrats on your blogs birthday! I can strongly relate to your first negative. It seems that close friends have a strong aversion to blogs. Oh well. I had to take on the attitude of, "It's their loss."Again, congrats to your accomplishment.

party! champagne! crackers! ! ! :-Dcongratulation! the first year is the hardest and you stayed true despite the "bad list". btw. - my "old friends" in the big city don´t read my blog too although it was created for them so they can see how i live now in the woods and can hold contact easy......love your birthday outfit - cool with wrap pants and that pretty tunic and the little scarf is just the right dot to make it really elegant!a supertanker of hugs and best wishes for more years of beautiful and authentic blogging!!!!!! xxxxxxxxx

Oh Beate, you brought tears to my eyes :-)I actually thought of you as I added the scarf because I remembered it was one you liked when I bought it. How strange about your friends. I hope they keep in touch in other ways!I nearly fell over with that supertanker of hugs!!! Love you! xo Jazzy Jack

Yes, I'm loving the extra contact and more relaxed platform on IG! I just told my 12 yr old about your latest rain post. He looked at me with awe and smiled " that is so cool!"Thanks for your congrats. I love that you have a different focus to my other blogger friends. Broadens my horizon :-) xo Jazzy Jack

Happy Birthday! Yes, I'll journey into the darkside with you. If I lived near you I'd be over doing plays with you and your kids on a weekly basis. I miss that with my kids so much.Your list on the positives makes me think of how my abilities on the computer have grown. Confidence has too in a general sense. All this complimenting and support we give to each other is contradictory to what we can get via the media and that's one of the things I love about it so much.

Aww, such a great birthday post! I know I don't comment enough on the blogs I follow, yours included, so I'm always trying to be more purposeful about that. And I love to use exclamation points!!!!!! ;) Love this blog and keep it up because it brings joy and beauty to your readers (and to you I'm sure). xoxo

Absolutely! The positive comments are sometimes hard for my low self esteem to believe, but people don't have to comment, so I'm trying to believe them more.We would love some acting expertise over here. Pop in when you are next passing! :-DThanks for continuing with me. I feel we have a rapport around shoes. I have to wear orthotics too!But we both manage to find funky ones! Loove your new ones! xo Jazzy Jack

Thanks Andrea! It's always a balancing act, especially with work and kids too. Since I started on IG (which I looove), I'm finding less time for my G+ communities so will probably leave them.Thanks for letting me know you are watching. Don't worry about commenting all the time. I do understand, and keep a sneaky eye on the stats to see who has been. I'd rather you enjoyed my work and not feel guilty. I don't always comment on yours either! :-) xo Jazzy Jack

CONGRATULATION!! my dear friend! I´m so happy our paths crossed! We are in the spirit quite similar and this is very rare. Soon I will have my 2nd blog birthday and your positive and negative things are with me exactly the same. The beginning was hard, but now we´ve found every day better our place in this blogging world. Since I'm more active on G + and Instagram, but also on Facebook, it has become more quiet on my blog (perhaps some of my old visitors don´t like my blog anymore, don´t know). I´m very happy to see you every day on Instagram and this is wonderful! Keep it up! Looking forward to your 2nd blog birthday! It is always nice to see you and to read from you. You have enriched my life..thank you from the heart.Your ouftis is amazing, love the tunic and this wide leg pants and of course this cute little scarf.. but most of all.. I love... YOUR DANCING VIDEO!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Many congratulations on your first blogging anniversary.I have been blogging just over a year and share many of your thoughts on the joy of discovering like minded people and skills I never thought I had.I laughed at reading your first post about jackets,I must admit I too have quite a collection. Thank you for visiting fromIG and thank you for your kind comments.

Oh Happy Birthday Natural Medley and dearest, dearest Jazzy Jack!You are such a warm, original, creative and alive, so very alive, phenomenal woman! I'm so honored and happy that you started commenting on my blog, and I treasure our Internet friendship - and I do believe that we'll meet some day!

I also learned how to use many. many !!!!!!!! - but then, how else to express my excitement and adoration? Maybe like this xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh Dana! You make me laugh :-DThanks sweetie, you are so generous.I too love connecting every day. Will swing over to your blog soon...it's on my list, very high up the top! :-) love you! xo Jazzy Jack

I too treasure our internet friendship! I sense in you the same creative and alive spirit. You have such a lovely way with words, as befits a writer! And I enjoy reading your accurate summing up of people's situations and your warmth flows out of the screen and into people's hearts I'm sure. At least it does to me!I look forward to more conversations around the screen...it's almost like a dinner table when we all chat and comment, just a bit more drawn out!Love you! xo JJ

Of course I'd journey with you forever! :D I love your posts and your awesome personality, your quirky comments and crazy amazing fashion sense! :D I think blogging is one of the things that helped me in so many ways, it's not just a creative outlet, but it's a way to connect with wonderful people, which I wouldn't even have the chance to meet here in Bulgaria. I wish you a Happy Birthday to your bloggy, hope you don't stop entertaining us with your hilarious family posts and creative fashion writings! ^_^ Hugggggssss from me!!!!!

Oh Keit that means so much to me. I admire your writings so much!It's amazing to me that I can hopefully comment on a blog I admire, and turn around and find they have become a friend.I think we are writing open letters to the world! Writing is definitely not a dead art.Hugggssess back! xo Jazzy Jack

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About Moi

I am an unschooling Mum of two boys 12 and 15. I adore creating anything from painting, to poetry, to singing, to sewing and decorating. I can be quiet until I know you, and then loud! I like to philosophise about life, and shop secondhand and handmade wherever and whenever possible. I want to use this blog to highlight my art, and to explore topics that are close to me, including family unschooling adventures.This will all unfold as we go along. I hope you will come along for the journey! Jazzy Jack